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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058835">Honeybody</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobikilledme/pseuds/hobikilledme'>hobikilledme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poolboy AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Food as a Metaphor for Love, M/M, Pool Boy AU, Sonic Slushies as a Plot Device, Summer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:07:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058835</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobikilledme/pseuds/hobikilledme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seungcheol falls in love with the pool boy over the course of the summer. (Surprisingly little mention of the pool)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Chan | Dino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poolboy AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Coup de Cœur - Round 1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Honeybody</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt:<br/>CFC131: Seungcheol needs some work done in his apartment, and the neighbors send over their college-age son Chan to help him out.</p><p>An ode to the summer in southern Appalachia.</p><p>This was a very long act of love that really got away from the original prompt, thank you to the people who convinced me to keep going.</p><p> </p><p>Disclaimer: I did write one of the characters as Korean-American and did my best to portray that experience as respectfully and accurately as I could but I am not Korean-American myself so if there is anything inaccurate or just not right with it, please let me know so that I can fix it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure you’re going to be okay,” Joshua asks, getting his suitcase stuck in the door, again. Seungcheol sighs, opening the screen door wider so the other boy can drag the rest of his stuff out.</p><p>“I’ll be fine, I promise. It’s not like you and your boyfriend are going to run away to China to elope. You still have another year on your masters.”</p><p>The other boy gets a dopey look on his face, “I’m not gonna marry him yet!”</p><p>“You better not, because if I’m not invited to the wedding, I will never forgive you.”</p><p>“Also, I’m just making sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself,” Josh says, patting the last suitcase where it sits on the porch.</p><p>Seungcheol shrugs, “Yeah, I’ll be a little lonely but it’ll be okay! My mom keeps facetiming me at random times because I don’t think she gets European timezones quite yet.” </p><p>Most summers Seungcheol would also be getting ready to head out the door, prepping for a long haul flight back home to Korea, but this year his parents had decided to go on a trip to Europe and his brother was overseas on business so he had just decided to stay put. </p><p>Josh finally gets everything shoved in Minghao’s tiny car, and slams the trunk. “Okay,” he says, coming back up to give Seungcheol a big hug, “Don’t forget to feed yourself, and text me please so I know you’re alive and-” </p><p>Minghao beeps the horn, leaning out the window, “I love you both very much but please wrap it up or we’re going to miss our flight.”</p><p>Seungcheol laughs and squeezes Josh one more time, “Go on, your lover is impatient.”</p><p>“Please don’t call him that, that’s so weird,” Josh says, tripping down the porch steps again and getting in the car. He immediately rolls the window down, “Seriously though, don’t forget to text me! I love you!” He trails off as Minghao drives away, beeping the horn at Seungcheol again. He laughs and waves until they’re out of sight.</p><p>It’ll be alright, he’s a big boy and can live by himself for a few months.</p><p>---</p><p>The first few days are fine. It’s hot and there really isn’t anything to do. He finishes grading papers for the class he's TAing, plays Overwatch a couple times but really, he spends most of his time sprawled on his bed, watching the fan go around in lazy circles. </p><p>That’s where the doorbell finds him on a Tuesday morning. He sits straight up, trying to remember if he forgot to send in a bill or something that would warrant his landlord coming to see him.</p><p>There’s a person on the front porch. Okay, Seungcheol is an adult, he can talk to real people in person. They’re looking over at the woods beside the house when Seungcheol gets to the front door, and he tries to take a deep breath.</p><p>“Hey there,” He says, opening the screen door, “Can I help you with something?”</p><p>The person turns around.This person is hot, like really hot. Seungcheol is screwed. They finally actually look Seungcheol in the eyes. They both tilt their heads. “Oh,” they breathe, eyes going a little wide. “I’m Chan, I’m just gonna be cleaning the pool,” The boy, man, Chan, beams at Seungcheol, his eyes crinkling at the corners. </p><p>They stand there staring at each other. Chan starts to shift a little, looking awkward, “Uhm, could you show me the pool or?”</p><p>Seungcheol immediately snaps back into his body, “Oh yeah sorry, right this way.” He turns around and walks through the house.</p><p>“Oh, can you take your shoes off please, sorry,” Seungcheol asks already halfway in the kitchen but Chan already has his shoes in his hands. Maybe he is the perfect boy so far.</p><p>He takes him through the kitchen and off the back porch to the pool. He realizes that there’s also a way to get to the backyard from the side and he didn’t have to expose the inside of his house but it's too late now.</p><p>“I’m Seungcheol, by the way,” he says, realizing he never introduced himself to this beautiful boy that he has just been Staring at for the last ten minutes.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you,” the way Chan says it makes it sound like he is genuinely glad that he’s able to meet Seungcheol.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you too, uhm I think the pool stuff is in the shed? Let me know if you need the key or anything,” /You can have me/ his brain says and he immediately squashes that thought.</p><p>“Awesome! I’ll let you know!” Chan smiles, and Seungcheol’s brain starts sounding claxon bells. /He’s so pretty./ </p><p>“Cool!” He says, not knowing what else he could possibly say that wouldn’t sound weird and scuttled back into the house.</p><p>---</p><p>“What are you studying?” Chan asked, waving the pool net in the water.</p><p>Seungcheol had felt weird for the first few days, just watching Chan out of his bedroom window and eventually had just brought his work outside to do on the porch. The other boy would smile and wave and just keep cleaning the pool. Now, he’s started sitting by the pool itself to try and make friends with him because really what else does he have to do? He can at least look at pretty boys.</p><p>Seungcheol kicks his feet at the edge of the pool. “I did international studies and sociology in undergrad and now I'm getting my masters in Food Studies.”</p><p>Chan’s eyebrows scrunch together but he doesn’t say anything. Seungcheol saves him from his confusion. “It’s okay, nobody ever knows what Food Studies is.”</p><p>“Is it like culinary school?” Chan taps the net over in the grass to get the leaves out.</p><p>“Nah it’s the actual study of food and culture and how the two interact. It’s sort of like an off branch of Anthropology? My thesis is focused on the Asian diaspora, specifically how it’s influenced the food culture of Appalachia.”</p><p>“Why here?” The pool net is just swishing back and forth, a pretense at this point.</p><p>Seungcheol leans back, the concrete sun warmed and pressing marks into his hands, “I went to undergrad here on a scholarship, and part of me fell in love with the area. The long academic answer is that a majority of the Korean Diaspora lives around here which makes it easier to do research. The short answer is people here are very nice and when I first moved here, I really appreciated that and wanted to learn more.” Seungcheol shrugs, a little embarrassed about rambling to a practical stranger.</p><p>Chan nods though, “I get it, I’ve lived here my whole life, people can be a little stand-offish sometimes but overall they’ll always be there for you. Have you been to the potluck the Korean church on the other side of town holds on Sundays?” Seungcheol shakes his head. Josh had mentioned the place a few months ago but the finals haze had wiped its existence from his mind. “Oh wow! Well you should come with me then! They’ll love you and it’s a great food experience.”</p><p>“I’m not like, super religious though,” Seungcheol can feel a tiny sprout of anxiety forming.</p><p>“It’s cool, you don’t have to go to the service or anything, oh my god wait,” Chan looks up wide eyed, “I’m not like trying to convert you or anything! I just, I used to go there with my aunt when I was little and I-” The pool net falls in as he waves his hands as if trying to wipe away the thought. Seungcheol watches him curse at the fallen net and sigh before looking back at him.</p><p>“Okay let me start over. If you want to come to this dinner with me, that would be cool, I think you’d find it interesting.”</p><p>Seungcheol grins at him, “Yeah it sounds like fun, community is just as important to food as culture is.”</p><p>“Cool, it’s not like a big thing, but free food and you might find it neat to talk to some of the community organizers,” Chan sighs again at the net resting on the bottom of the pool. </p><p>“What do you do?” Seungcheol asks as Chan decides to wade into the pool to try and grab the net.</p><p>“Oh, I do a little bit of everything you know?” He tries to grab it with his foot and only pushes it further away, “I take classes at the community college, I teach dance at a local studio, I actually know Minghao through that, small town, you know.” Seungcheol watches him put his hands on his hips and stare at the net. The other boy sighs before ducking under water to grab it. He emerges with it held over his head triumphant and Seungcheol claps.</p><p>“You just clean pools over the summer?” </p><p>“Yeah for the most part, the guy who owns it is our neighbor and I’ve just been helping out since I was a teenager.” He gets out of the pool and shakes the water off like a dog. Seungcheol grins at him.</p><p>---</p><p>The day of their not date arrives and Seungcheol factimes Josh, panicking, forgetting  about the time zones. </p><p>“You better be dead or dying to wake me up at 4 am here,” Josh says, eyes still closed.</p><p>“And yet you picked up,” Seungcheol snips back, Josh grumbles at him, “Anyways, I have a date with a boy.”</p><p>“A boy? Oh wow, hold on I’m awake,” Seungcheol watches him shuffle around on the screen, he can hear a sleepy Minghao in the background. A lamp clicks on and Josh blinks. “Okay tell me more, I need context to do my best work.”</p><p>“Okay so I don’t know if it’s like actually a date? But like we’re going out, sort of? We are going to the weekly dinner thing at the Korean Church, and he like used to go there as a kid and I might meet his family and-”</p><p>“Cheol, baby, slow down, I have no brain cells right now,” Josh sighs, “Okay what am I working with?” Seungcheol holds up a pair of shorts and pouts.</p><p>“A no to the shorts, you’re going to a church function, you can’t be too outwardly horny this isn’t catholicism,” Josh hums while Seungcheol grumbles and goes back to digging through his closet.</p><p>“Oh do you still have those jeans I gave you a few months ago?”</p><p>“Yes? Somewhere?”</p><p>“Wear those and a pink shirt if you have one, you look great in pink.”</p><p>Seungcheol lays out the outfit and shows Josh to get his approval one more time. </p><p>“There’s no need to be so worked up, I promise you, they’re a really chill community, I’ve gone a few times outside of class,” Josh yawns, “Okay, I’m going back to bed, tell me how it goes.” </p><p>Seungcheol waves bye to him and returns to panicking for a few more hours.</p><p>Seungcheol pulls into the parking lot of the church and knocks his head on the steering wheel lightly. “They’re not going to tell you to leave, it's going to be fine,” he tells himself and takes a deep breath. He gets out of the truck and walks across the parking lot.</p><p> There’s already a couple of people there, several older women pointing him in the direction of where the dinner is held. After he gets lost down a couple of hallways, he spots Chan carrying something out of the communal kitchen.He goes over to see if he can help.</p><p>“Oh you came!” Chan’s eyes look like they’re sparkling and he looks so genuinely glad to see Seungcheol, it takes his breath away.</p><p>“Of course, you invited me,” Seungcheol says, “Can I help with anything? I don’t want to just stand in the way or anything.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Chan jerks his head back to the kitchen, “I’m sure someone wouldn’t mind your help in there, I’ll be right back I promise.”</p><p>Seungcheol walks into the kitchen and immediately the older women there start clucking around him.</p><p>“Aiyo, where has Chan been keeping you?” One of them asks, pinching his arms. He laughs and can feel his ears turning red. It’s nice to hear the gentle vowels of Korean fuss around him, it reminds him of his mom asking if he’s eaten yet.</p><p>“Leave him alone,” Chan comes back into the kitchen to grab another plate, “Hyung is new here, be nice.” Seungcheol notices the switch to Korean, and makes a note to talk to him later about it. He hadn’t even been aware Chan spoke it.</p><p>“Can I help?” Seungcheol asks and is immediately handed a dish to take outside. He shuttles plates back and forth until Chan eventually comes and drags him away to actually eat some food.</p><p>“Here, you can come sit with us before someone tries to get you to marry their daughter,” Chan says with a fond eye roll. He plops Seungcheol down in a chair and hands him a bowl of rice. Seungcheol accepts it gratefully, not realizing he was so hungry until he had seen all the food laid out. Chan goes around and introduces the other people at the table as his friends. “Okay so this is Jeon Wonwoo,” a boy with glasses waves, “Chwe Vernon, we went to high school together,” the boy to his right nods at him, “Kwon Soonyoung, our resident furry and Wonwoo’s partner,” the person across from Seungcheol yells at Chan, “and last but not least Lee Seokmin,” the boy on his left shoots him a smile that could rival the sun. “Everyone,” Chan puts a hand on Seungcheol’s shoulder, “this is Choi Seungcheol, be nice to him or I will kill you with my own two hands.”</p><p>After introductions are made, the conversation flows like they’ve all known each other for years. Vernon and Wonwoo keep trying to tell stories about Chan from high school while the other boy tries to yell over them. Seokmin makes sure he isn’t left out of the conversation which is very nice of him. </p><p>Eventually, as dinner starts to wind down and everyone at the table is swapping stories, Seungcheol leans over to Chan. Hey, sorry, if like this is a dumb or insensitve question, but I didn’t know you could speak Korean?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, no it’s cool, my aunt speaks it at home and like growing up with the church community and everything. A lot of the kids around here speak a little or at least understand it,” Chan looks at him wide-eyed, “Sorry, was hyung overstepping? I should have asked, but like sometimes it makes me nervous to speak Korean in front of native speakers and-”</p><p>Seungcheol watches the other boy ramble, completely enamoured in the way his ears slowly transition from pink to red. He cuts him off before he starts to combust. “It’s totally fine, we’re friends right?”</p><p>Chan gives him a small smile, “Yeah, we are.”</p><p>“Also don’t worry, I’m not going to make fun of you for having an accent or anything, people learn things from different places,” Seungcheol shrugs, “Josh also grew up speaking Korean and English, I’m not going to ever make fun of someone for being bilingual or nervous to speak a second language.”</p><p>Chan is staring at him with wide eyes and an unreadable expression on his face. He blinks and that tiny smile comes back, “Well, we should help clean up.”</p><p>Later, after Seungcheol has attempted to carry 20 chairs to help clean up and failed, Chan drags him around the side of the building, down an overgrown path to a lovingly built fence. “Here’s the one, the only, Roots garden,” He says proudly waving a hand over the obviously well loved plots of earth. He leads Seungcheol through some of the little paths pointing out different plants and tells him about all the plans that everyone has for the fall. Seungcheol hopes his staring isn’t too obvious, watching the other boy talk about something so passionately makes him feel full of sunlight, warm and safe. </p><p>The sun itself has mostly set, last beams bouncing off Chan and the little asparagus sprouts he’s talking to. Little lights start to blink around the garden and Seungcheol smiles, “I love fireflies, there’s a festival for them back home.” Chan glances around, looking a little surprised that it’s dark already, like he hadn’t noticed time was passing. </p><p>“Oh that’s so cool! I would love to have a festival for these guys,” He says, looking around at all of them.</p><p>Seungcheol watches the little fireflies flit around tomato plants and watches as Chan tries to catch one. He holds up his cupped hands, the little light blinking in between them, before letting the little bug go, still grinning. </p><p>---</p><p>	Chan convinces him to go on a drive one afternoon in late May. “C’mon, let's go up to the parkway and watch the sunset,” He says, kicking his feet on the porch swing while Seungcheol is sitting in one of the rocking chairs working on his thesis.</p><p>	He rubs his face, pushing his glasses up, “You know what? Fuck it, let’s go do that.” Chan cheers and Seungcheol goes to grab his keys.</p><p>Chan makes him stop at a little gas station, buying popsicles for both of them. The drive up is always pretty, Seungcheol rolls down all the windows and Chan laughs. Chan ends up digging through the CD box that lives on the floor of the passenger seat and popping in one that plays soft winding music. They don’t really talk on the way up but it’s not a bad kind of silence. Sometimes being quiet with someone is better than talking. </p><p>The road winds around the mountain, making the shadows shift over the dashboard and Seungcheol has to make a concentrated effort to not stare at Chan because he’s a safe driver, there will be no driving off a mountain to look at a pretty boy. </p><p>Eventually Chan makes him pull over at one of the overlooks. He practically bounces out of the truck and Seungcheol laughs at him for it. They end up sitting on the wood barrier made to stop them from falling down the mountain that wild blackberry bushes grow right up to and scraggly trees grow down from.</p><p>Chan hands him one of the popsicles, lime flavored, and the paper crinkles in his hands. Chan kicks his feet while he eats his popsicle, the sun painting him peachy. Seungcheol’s popsicle is sour enough to make him scrunch his nose but it’s still good. They keep catching each other looking and then grinning which turns into laughing. Seungcheol ends up having to catch the back of Chan’s shirt at one point to stop him from tumbling down the mountain and it makes them laugh even harder.</p><p>“How did you like your popsicle?” Chan asks, wiping the tears from his eyes.</p><p>“It’s good, kind of sour though,” Seungcheol looks out over the mountains, painted in pinks and deep blues by the sunset. One of the best things about the mountains was that no matter what was happening, the sun still rose and set, painting the mountains just as lovingly everyday.</p><p>“It’s still probably better than the pickle popsicles they sell.”</p><p>Seungcheol wrinkles his nose and his whole face scrunches up at the thought, “Why would they even make those?” Chan just laughs.</p><p>The sun dips a little further behind the mountains, taking it’s golden hues and making room for the soft purple of dusk to come through. They get back in the truck to watch the fireflies light up the edge of the woods and Seungcheol finds himself staring at Chan, as usual. Chan catches him, as he always does, and gives him that soft lovely smile that’s mostly just his eyes crinkling up. He can’t stop himself from reaching out to cup the side of the other boy’s face and Chan nuzzles into it.</p><p>“Can I kiss you?” he whispers, cradling the other boy’s jaw and watching the lights in his eyes sparkle. </p><p>Chan smiles, lips stained cherry from the popsicle, and Seungcheol <em>/aches/</em>. “Yeah, thought you’d never ask,” he says with that spike of cocky confidence that makes Seungcheol want to roll his eyes.</p><p>He leans over the console, one of his hands coming up to cup the other side of Chan’s face while he presses sticky sweet kisses to his cheeks until the other boy is giggling. When he captures Chan’s mouth in a soft kiss, their lips are cold and they both keep smiling into it.</p><p>By the time they’ve gotten down the mountain, the sun has completely disappeared and the street lights are on. Seungcheol pulls up to Chan’s aunt's house and parks the truck. The lights are on the front porch, spilling gold onto the front stairs. They both shuffle a little awkwardly, unsure how to go forward.</p><p>“Well this is me,” Chan says, visibly cringing immediately.</p><p>Seungcheol laughs, “I know, stupid.” Chan pouts at him. He leans in, “Can I kiss you again?” he asks and Chan melts. </p><p>“Yes please.” </p><p>Seungcheol meets him halfway. Chan’s lips aren’t as cold anymore but they do still taste faintly of cherry, he finds, darting his tongue out. Chan makes a quiet little noise and Seungcheol pulls back grinning. Chan doesn’t open his eyes for a few seconds and it makes Seungcheol grin even harder.</p><p>“Okay I’m gonna go now,” he says and doesn’t move at all. Seungcheol starts laughing, feeling full of champagne bubbles.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll see you soon then.”</p><p>Chan looks torn, and Seungcheol tilts his head, “What’s up buttercup?” He wishes it wasn’t so dark, he wants to see Chan blush. </p><p>“One more kiss?” Chan asks as if Seungcheol could ever deny him anything he ever wanted. Their next kiss is more teeth than anything, both of them smiling too much for it to be anything less. “Okay now I’m going for real,” Chan says pressing one more kiss to Seungcheol’s cheek before clambering out of the truck. Seungcheol waves at him once he gets to the porch and waits until he’s inside before he bonks his head on the steering wheel. </p><p>“Oh my god,” his cheeks hurt from smiling, “I kissed the pool boy.” He drives home with the windows down, feeling like the king of the world.</p><p>---</p><p>Despite having lived in the same house for the last two years, Seungcheol doesn’t actually think he’s ever been in the pool. Josh had been super excited about it when they had first been looking for places to rent but Seungcheol usually spent most summers back in Korea and never got to use the pool when he was in the States. </p><p>After spending the whole morning trying to hunt down an accurate source for a paper he has to finish, he gives up and goes to find his swim trunks. The middle of the afternoon in Appalachia is muggy and hot and miserable. The shed in the backyard that all the pool stuff is kept in has a weird key, and he huffs when he realizes he forgot it inside. When he finally gets it open, he pulls out one of the giant floaties that Josh owns and throws it in the pool, splashing in right after it.</p><p>He’s still just floating when Chan comes through the back. </p><p>“I can just give you the spare key if you want,” Seungcheol says, not bothering to look up from his floaty. Chan pokes him away from the side of the pool with the net.</p><p>“Sounds good.”</p><p>Chan comes by regularly even though the pool doesn’t really need to be cleaned that often now. Seungcheol had teased him, saying he was just coming to see him and Chan had rolled his eyes but kept smiling.</p><p>“You should just come swim in the pool with me,” Seungcheol says, floating off to the center of the deep end.</p><p>“I don’t have anything to swim in though,” Chan continues to swish the net around.</p><p>“My room is at the top of the stairs to the left, the top drawer on the dresser has swim trunks, please?”</p><p>Chan sighs but Seungcheol knows he got him. “I’ll be right back I guess,” Chan says, and walks back towards the house.</p><p>Seungcheol’s floaty bumps over into the shaded part of the pool and he wiggles his feet in the water. The summer isn’t that bad, he does miss Josh though. He’s spent a while thinking about how well him and Chan would get along. Also their friend Jeonghan who had decided to go to New York for grad school. He misses his friends a bit.</p><p>“Okay you got me mostly naked, is this what you wanted?”</p><p>Seungcheol turns his head to find Chan standing at the edge of the pool. He’s got on a pair of dark green swim shorts and nothing else and oh boy. Seungcheol loves to love boys. “Oh my god you’re so hot.” Chan laughs and Seungcheol blushes, not meaning to have said that outloud.</p><p>Chan jumps in the pool, making Seungcheol yelp when he gets splashed and the waves buffet the floaty. Chan resurfaces and Seungcheol goes through three separate horny crises about the other boy being wet in the time it takes for him to wade over to the floaty.</p><p>“Hey,” Chan breathes, water dripping down the side of his face and the sun framing him.</p><p>“Hey,” Seungcheol says back, already smiling back. His face hurting from smiling is just an occupational hazard of being around Chan. The floaty squeaks when Chan pushes on the side to lean up and kiss Seungcheol softly. He melts into it, even if Chan tastes like chlorine. </p><p>“You know, I never get in the pool usually,” Seungcheol says, words brushed against Chan’s mouth still because he doesn’t really want to stop kissing.</p><p>Seungcheol whines when Chan pulls away. “It’s such a nice pool though.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m never here during the summer usually and I don’t really want to swim in October.”</p><p>Chan shrugs, pushing off the floaty to float on his back. They float quietly for a while before Chan decides that he’s had enough of peace. He grabs Seungcheol’s ankle, smiling sweetly at him before yanking him off the floaty and Seungcheol goes down squawking. </p><p>He splutters when he comes up and Chan cackles. Seungcheol pushes his hair back and Chan bites his lip to stop from smiling. Then, Seungcheol lunges for the other boy who shrieks and tries to get away. There’s a brief wrestling match but eventually Seungcheol prevails and pins Chan against the side of the pool. Chan’s eyes are wide and Seungcheol grins. “Gotcha,” He whispers into Chan’s ear and he shudders.</p><p>“Please kiss me oh my god,” Chan begs and Seungcheol ends up bumping his teeth into the other boy’s mouth because he can’t stop smiling. They’ve made out a couple of times since their first kiss so it’s not hard to fall into a familiar rhythm, Chan tugging at his bottom lip and Seungcheol pressing biting kisses up the other boy’s neck. </p><p>Today though, it gets a little more heated than usual, Chan running his hands up Seungcheol’s chest and Seungcheol’s hands pressing hard enough to leave bruises into the other boy’s hips.</p><p>Seungcheol bites a mark on Chan's shoulder and presses a thigh in between his legs. Chan shudders but pushes at Seungcheol’s shoulders and he immediately backs off. Chan looks flushed, pupils blown wide and lips kiss-red. Seungcheol wants him so badly. </p><p>“I am going to have to clean the pool again if you make me cum, it’s gonna be a no to pool sex.”</p><p>Seungcheol pouts, “But I want to make you feel good.”</p><p>“No, not here, the puppy eyes don’t work on me hyung.” Chan says, “This pool was already gross and we aren’t about to make it worse.” Seungcheol rolls his eyes fondly but pushes away all the same. He swims back over to the floaty and pulls himself back on it. “Name the time and place then, babe.” He laughs when he hears Chan dunk his head underwater and scream.</p><p>---</p><p>Chan seemed really nervous when he came over to the house in the morning. Seungcheol tried asking him what’s wrong but the other boy kept insisting nothing was wrong. </p><p>They were sharing a bowl of cherries on the front porch because the air conditioning broke and the guy hadn’t come to fix it yet. Chan kept fiddling with the stems of them and rocking the porch swing a little too fast. Seungcheol turned the page of his book, he was realizing that he needed to give Chan the space to talk instead of pushing him.</p><p>Eventually, the other boy opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Seungcheol closed his book and propped his head up on the arm of his chair. “What’s up buttercup?” Chan’s ear’s turned a little pink and he seemed even more flustered now. Seungcheol reaches out and grabs his hand, and the other boy takes a deep breath before stuttering through his thoughts, “Do you uhm, I mean you can say no, it’s totally cool but-”</p><p>Seungchol interrupts the other boy with a little kiss to his hand and rubs his thumb over the spot. “Just tell me what it is okay? I promise I won't be weird about it.” </p><p>Chan takes a deep breath, “I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner at my aunt’s house this week? She’s been asking about you, and I love her and want y’all to get along, obviously.” Seungcheol smiles while the other boy continues to ramble on.</p><p>“I would love to.”</p><p>“Oh? What? Really?” Chan looks bewildered like he hadn’t figured it would be so easy.</p><p>“Yeah, why wouldn’t I want to meet your family?”</p><p>“I don’t know, I hadn’t gotten that far.” Seungcheol laughs at him. </p><p>Seungcheol ends up driving Chan home on a Thursday, “Well now you can’t get lost,” Chan says when they pull up to his house.</p><p>“I got lost one time!” Seungcheol shuts the door of the truck and follows Chan up to the porch.</p><p>“We were literally just going to the grocery store by your house and it took us half an hour to get home,” He opens the door, slipping off his shoes and handing Seungcheol a pair of slippers. “Anyways, welcome to my house! Let’s say hi to my aunt and I’ll give you the tour.” He leads them through the house, passing the kitchen that smells like home to Seungcheol.</p><p>“Does your aunt make kimchi?”</p><p>	“Oh yeah she does, she sells some at the farmers market on Saturday too.”</p><p>Seungcheol really wants to stop and stare at the baby pictures on the walls but Chan leads them out to the back porch.</p><p>	“Imo!” He yells and Seungcheol sees a woman’s head pop up from the massive garden spread across the back yard, “We’re home! Come say hi!” Seungcheol watches as she comes up to the porch, she’s so much smaller than he’d originally thought but immediately wraps him in a hug.</p><p>	“Hello!” She says, and Seungcheol could weep from hearing Korean again, “It’s so nice to meet you! Channie has done nothing but talk about you for weeks.”</p><p>Seungcheol laughs when Chan whines at the nickname and she pinches his cheek. </p><p>“Dinner won’t take that long! Channie, show him around the house,” She shoes them both back inside.</p><p>“She seems very sweet,” Seungcheol says as Chan rubs the dirt off his cheek.</p><p>“She’s the best,” he says, “Okay, let's do the grand tour.”</p><p>Chan shows him around, pointing out the bathroom, the basement door, explaining that it’s haunted, the living room, and upstairs, the stairs to the attic, also probably haunted, and his room where he does pull Seungcheol into to kiss him.</p><p>“It’s not too overwhelming or anything is it?” Chan looks at him with earnest eyes and Seungcheol melts a little.</p><p>He cups the other boy’s jaw, “Nope, perfectly whelming,” Chan wrinkles his nose at him, “I know it’s hard to believe but I like learning new things about you, it’s like an adventure.”</p><p>They end up making out in Chan’s room until his aunt calls for them to come downstairs to eat. Dinner is nice, Chan’s aunt had made him ask Seungcheol what his favorite food was and had done her best to make it. Seungcheol spent most of dinner wanting to cry over how nice of a thought the food was and laughing until he was actually crying when she told stories of Chan as a little kid.</p><p>Eventually, the plates are cleared and Seungcheol hasn’t felt so full in a while. “Thank you ajumeoni, the food was delicious” He says and she coos.</p><p>“He’s so polite! Where did you find such a nice boy?” She asks Chan who just blushes. She stands up gesturing to the table, “Chan you can do the dishes, I’m going to show Seungcheol all the baby photos I have,” She sweeps Seungcheol into the living room, leaving Chan whining in the kitchen.</p><p>	She pulls out several large books and has him sit on the couch while they look through them. He points out some of his favorites and she launches into the stories behind them, obviously glad of a new audience to hear about Chan’s youth.</p><p>Seungcheol runs his fingers over the plastic, a much younger Chan beaming at the camera, holding a dance trophy above his head. His aunt smiles, “He was the sweetest kid, a brat as a teenager but who wasn’t?” They both laugh. She turns the page to where Chan as a toddler looks like he’s eating sand in a sandbox, “Just take care of him okay? He’s very sweet and trusting and I don’t know if I can hold him together if he breaks,” She looks at him like she’s handing him a precious treasure. </p><p>“Of course,” is the only thing Seungcheol can think of to reply with, and she smiles like that’s enough.</p><p>	Chan comes in complaining after all the dishes are done and curls up on the couch next to Seungcheol, tucking his feet under his thighs. The conversations get livelier now that Chan can dispute how cute his aunt seems to think he was and Seungcheol’s cheeks ache by the end of it.</p><p>	It gets to be pretty late and Chan’s aunt pats his cheek as he slides his shoes back on.</p><p>“You’re welcome anytime you want, it’s nice to see Chan so happy,” She says and cackles when Chan whines at her, ears bright red.</p><p>	He walks Seungcheol out to his car, the night having turned cooler and the crickets chirping softly. Chan rocks on his toes before leaning up and kissing Seungcheol’s cheek. He brings his hand up like he’s holding it in place which makes Chan smile. </p><p>“I’ll see you tomorrow?” </p><p>Seungcheol smiles, “Yeah of course.”</p><p>“Text me when you’re home safe!” Chan sends a kiss his way and Seungcheol catches it to make him laugh.</p><p>He smiles the whole way home.</p><p>---</p><p>Seungcheol wakes up to a text that was sent at 2:30 am.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>POOL BOY (HOT AND MAYBE DANGEROUS) :</strong>
  </em>
</p><p> <em>Let's go on an adventure tomorrow</em></p><p>
  <em> wear your hiking boots</em>
</p><p>
  <em> i’ll bring snacks.</em>
</p><p>Chan’s already sitting on the front steps by the time Seungcheol walks out with his backpack. </p><p>“Where are we going today?” Seungcheol asks, locking the front door as Chan slides into the passenger side of the truck.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you would it?” Chan says, clicking his seatbelt in while Seungcheol turns the truck on. </p><p>“I guess not,” He loops an arm around Chan’s seat as he backs up and Chan rifles through the CD box.</p><p>Once Chan directs them to the highway and they’re on their way, Seungcheol can feel a grin settling permanently into the corners of his eyes. Chan makes him roll the windows down, the wind ruffling their hair, and he turns the radio up as loud as it’ll go. He laughs as Chan sings Brown-Eyed Girl at him from the passenger seat, changing the pronouns just a bit, and he can hear the smile laced into the boy’s singing voice. Seungcheol reaches over and intertwines their hands together over the console.</p><p>Chan instructs him to turn off the highway when they’re deep in the mountains, directing him down some dirt paths before they come to a stop at a little unpaved parking lot by a river. Chan gets out, stretching tall, arms above his head and his stomach peaking out from his shirt, while Seungcheol grabs his bag from the floor.</p><p>“This used to be a town you know,” Chan says, also grabbing his bag and slamming the door shut. “Over there,” he points to a stand of trees on the other side of the train tracks that are at the base of a single house, “That used to be a post office.”</p><p>“Wow,” Seungcheol says, “What are we gonna do today then?”</p><p>“We’re gonna go look at the rest of the town.” Chan swings his backpack on, and sets off down the railroad tracks. Seungcheol follows him. </p><p>“Is this safe?” He asks after they’ve been walking for a while.</p><p>“Oh yeah, don’t even worry about it, there’s only two trains that come through here a day.”</p><p>Like every good adventure, there has to be a good story behind it. “It was called Runion, the town, there used to be lots of little towns on the Drover road.” Chan says, balancing on one of the tracks while Seungcheol holds his hand. “They used to get trade down the river and people came from Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia but then the trains came in and cut off the Drover road, because who would want to walk when you’ve got a train?” He pulls Seungcheol through the bushes on the side of the track, revealing a small trail that leads deeper into the woods.  </p><p>Underneath the canopy of trees, it’s easy to see the gentle sweep of the side of the mountain. They follow the trail for a while, at one point coming upon a concrete structure still standing. Chan points out that it’s not as old as the rest so it must be modern. Seungcheol climbs one of the old growth trees to lay on one of the lower thick branches. He watches Chan try and climb into the concrete structure, trying to give him climbing tips. The other boy disappears around the other side saying something about how the hill will help him get on the roof. Seungcheol closes his eyes, listening to the sound of the wind ruffling the leaves and the steady rushing of the river in the distance.</p><p>“Hyung!” Chan yells. Seungcheol turns to see that he figured out how to get on the roof of the structure. He grins and yells back, “I’m not helping you down! Don’t break anything.” He laughs when he hears the other boy grumble at him. He laughs even harder when he hears a thump a few minutes later and a yelp. Chan comes up to his tree branch, balanced on his tiptoes and leaves stuck in his hair. </p><p>“You’re a mess,” Seungcheol says, picking some of the leaves out. Chan just grins at him and tugs at his hand. They grab their backpacks and wander further into the woods. Chan promises that there’s a mostly intact house around here somewhere, but Seungcheol is honestly content to just wander around with the other boy. </p><p>They eventually stumble upon the house, its walls still chest high and the hearth and chimney intact. The floor is covered in underbrush but Chan just drags him past that to the front of the hearth. Seungcheol watches the other boy lay down, face mostly obscured by the plants around them but looking for all the world like he’s just laying on the floor of any house. Chan pats the leaves beside him, “Lay with me?”</p><p>Seungcheol lies down, leaves crunching beneath him, the light filtering through the taller plants. He turns his head to the side, watching the slope of Chan’s nose, the way his chest moves when he breathes, the way the sunlight paints him in careful strokes. </p><p>“Do you ever feel a little like you’re being wrapped in a blanket when you’re in the mountains?” Chan asks, voice hushed.</p><p>Seungcheol looks up at the patchwork of sky through the branches above them. Thinks about Apsan Park and how his brother had convinced him it would be easy to hike it, how it ended with them collapsed but triumphant at the top. “I don’t know, I feel like I’m treading lightly in a strangers house most of the time here.”</p><p>Chan looks over at him, blinking slowly, leaves crunching everytime he moves. “Tell me why?”</p><p>Seungcheol stretches his arms up, hands reaching for the broken parts of the sky, “I wasn’t born here. I don’t know any of the plants' names, and if I do there’s always that back and forth in my brain trying to rename it in Korean, translate it to English and most of the time there isn’t a word for it.” He pulls his hands back to his chest and looks over at Chan again, “My eomma knows every plant in the world,” he says smiling. Chan smiles back, lips pulling up like a flower unfurling.</p><p>“She sounds like an amazing person.”</p><p>Seungcheol feels the homesickness root in his chest, dull now years later but still there, “She is,” he says, <em>she would love you</em> he doesn’t say.</p><p>Eventually, they get up, Chan walks the edge of the wall that’s still intact and they wander on through the woods. They find a chimney here, a pot or pan there, Chan tugging on his hand with a “Hyung look!” like they’re really on an adventure somewhere far away. </p><p>There’s a long whistle and steady deep thrum, deep enough to feel like a heartbeat in the distance. Chan grins, “The trains here,” and they stand in the middle of the woods, deep in the mountains, and listen to the train passing and Seungcheol looks at this beautiful boy and feels something deep in his chest slot into place. Maybe something close to the idea of home.</p><p>They eventually stumble out of the woods, making their way back to the truck, laughing and picking leaves out of each other’s hair. “Can we get pizza when we get back to the real world,” Chan asks, already looking for a new CD in the box.</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Seungcheol replies, starting the truck.</p><p>---</p><p>Chan texts him one afternoon in June, asking for a ride.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>POOL BOY &lt;3:</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em></em>
  </strong>
  <em>Can you pick me up </em>
</p><p>
  <em>bike machine broke </em>
</p><p>
  <em> :(</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>ME:</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em></em>
  </strong>
  <em>Yeah give me ten minutes</em>
</p><p>Seungcheol pulls up and sees Chan sitting outside and beeps his horn. The other boy looks up, grin already wide. He pulls his bike over to throw it in the bed of the truck and climbs in the passenger side. He slumps down like his strings were all cut once the seatbelt clicks.</p><p>“Rough day at work?” Seungcheol says, reaching over to pet his hair before pulling out of the parking lot.</p><p>“Oh my god, you have no idea,” Chan replies, bonking his head on the window, “Can we please go get sonic and you listen to me complain for the next two hours?”</p><p>“Only if you buy me a cherry limeade float.”</p><p>“Fine, but I’m gonna get a blue raspberry slushie with nerds in it and I don’t want to hear you complain that you hate how it tastes when you kiss me.”</p><p>After they’ve gotten their drinks, and Chan pouts until Seungcheol buys him fries, they drive up to their favorite overlook and Chan does complain for almost two hours. Seungcheol knows he’s giving him heart eyes the entire time.</p><p>“Are you even listening to me?” Chan asks, lightly flicking Seungcheol’s forehead and he pouts.</p><p>“I can’t help that you’re so cute I get distracted,” he laughs while Chan pretends to vomit.</p><p>“Grosss,” Chan says, leaning in to kiss him, “You likee me.”</p><p>Seungcheol wrinkles his nose at the taste of blue raspberry but kisses him back anyways, “Yeah it’s gross.” </p><p>They get lost for a bit, making out while the sun slowly dips below the horizon. Chan’s hand that had been on his thigh migrates up to the buttons of his pants and fiddles with them there. Chan had said it was sweet that Seungcheol got so worked up from just kissing.</p><p>Seungcheol grabs Chan’s wrist and moves his hand away gently. “We are not having car sex,” He says and Chan pouts. “Can we please have sex in a bed like normal people for the first time at least?”</p><p>Chan rolls his eyes, “Yes, because I respect you and want your consent to do anything sexual but also where is your sense of adventure?”</p><p>“We are in public!”</p><p>“Do we need to sit down with a kink list?”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Seungcheol knocks his head on to the steering wheel, and then yelps when it honks the horn. Chan laughs at him and he tickles the other boy until he cries as retaliation.</p><p>---</p><p>Chan asks him if he can invite some friends over for a bonfire one afternoon. “It would just be a couple people is that okay?”</p><p>Seungcheol shrugs, trying to remember which highlighted part in the book he was reading he needed to write down, “Yeah it’s cool with me, I know most of them anyways.”</p><p>Chan kisses his cheek and Seungcheol looks up to see him grinning before he bounces out of the house with a wave, “You’re the best!” Seungcheol watches him dance off to the pool and smiles to himself.</p><p>The bonfire turns into just Chan’s friends coming over on Saturday, the driveway filled with more cars than normal. Seokmin waved over the top of the fence, and when Seungcheol let him in, he saw he was carrying a portable fire pit. </p><p>“Thanks for letting us use your yard!” He says wandering in and putting it down in the grass a little bit away from the shed.</p><p>“Of course, it’s really nice to have people over, it’s been lonely without Josh,” Seungcheol says bringing over some wood from the shed.</p><p>“Oh what’s that make me then?” Chan says, coming through the gate with a pack of the alcoholic lemonades he liked. Seungcheol rolls his eyes and kisses him hello. Soonyoung whistles behind Chan and Vernon laughs, bringing in snacks from his car.</p><p>“You just came with the pool,” he says and Chan sticks his tongue out at him.</p><p>They get the fire going and Wonwoo hands him a beer and everything feels good. The sun dips below the line of trees and the cicadas soften. Soonyoung and Chan try to teach Seokmin a girl group dance but he keeps slipping in the wet grass and they all fall apart laughing.</p><p>Chan bounces over to him and makes grabby hands at him, his eyes wide, “Will you dance with me please?” Seungcheol would do absolutely anything for this boy. Someone had turned on music, soft and sweet with a piano and horns. He puts his beer down in the grass and Vernon whistles as he takes Chan’s hand. The other boy grins, making him sway with him. He tries to teach Seungcheol some more complicated swing moves but it just ends with Seungcheol tripping and Chan almost falling over from laughing.</p><p>“Okay,” Chan says, smile still wide, “Let’s just try the simplest move!” He pulls Seungcheol closer, almost chest to chest. “So you pull and then,” he pushes him away, “push and bring your hand to my shoulder.” Chan’s hand comes to Seungcheol’s waist and the other boy spins them around. Seungcheol’s cheeks ache from grinning.</p><p>“I just can’t dance, it’s not your fault,” Seungcheol tries, laughing too hard to say anything else as Chan spins them faster and faster.</p><p>Chan dips him down, and Seungcheol sees stars in his eyes.<em> I love you </em>he thinks, almost says, before he remembers there’s other people around them, Wonwoo whistling and Hansol clapping.</p><p>They eventually end up collapsed in a giggling heap on the ground, covered in dew and grass and Seungcheol thinks <em>I love you.</em></p><p>Seungcheol ends up sitting back down, collapsing back into his lawn chair and grabbing his beer. Chan keeps bouncing around, getting Soonyoung and Seokmin to dance with him. He watches the way the fire’s light flickers off the trees surrounding the yard and how the song Wonwoo has playing twines around the smoke. The tree frogs drone on, making a soft blanket of noise. He keeps catching Chan looking back at him with  big eyes and smiles wide and silly at him.</p><p>Vernon is actually a really cool person to talk to and Seungcheol loses track of time, conversations flowing around him. Eventually, Chan comes over and plops himself down on Seungcheol’s lap. He wraps an arm around the other boy as he tucked himself into his chest. </p><p>The fire starts to burn down, everyone falling into quiet conversation, and Soonyoung falls over yawning at one point. Wonwoo laughs but helps them up, “I think we’re gonna head out now.” </p><p>Vernon stretches beside him, “Yeah, it’s getting kind of late, Chan do you need a ride home?”</p><p>Chan pulls away enough to look at Seungcheol who just smiles at him. “I’m staying here tonight, thanks hyung.” </p><p>Vernon shrugs with a smile, “It’s no problem, I probably need to get Seokmin home anyways.” They all look over to where the boy is currently weeping on Soonyoung, mumbling something about loving his friends.</p><p>They help Seungcheol clean up the yard enough that it’s not a mess in the morning before heading out. Chan watches from the porch steps, leaning on the railing. Seungcheol comes up beside him and presses a kiss to his head before waving everyone off.</p><p>“Let me know when you’re safe okay?” He calls out to Wonwoo and Vernon who both send him thumbs ups.</p><p>“Hyung, I’m sleepy,” Chan says, wrapping himself around Seungcheol while he locks the door. He turns around to wrap the other boy in a hug and just stands there breathing in how he smells like smoke and those stupid lemonades. <em>I love you</em>, his heart pangs. </p><p>“Come on then, let's get ready for bed.”</p><p>Seungcheol dumps a whining Chan into the shower, taking his own clothes off too. “Hyung, shower sex is too dangerous,” the other boy whines while Seungcheol shampoos his hair. </p><p>He snorts, making Chan’s hair into a little mohawk, “I’m not having shower sex with you stupid, but you’re not getting into my bed all yucky from the day and smelling like wood smoke.”</p><p>“So you’re saying you wouldn’t have shower sex with me?”</p><p>“No baby, you’re drunk and you’re right, it’s too dangerous. Too high risk and not enough reward.”</p><p>Seungcheol eventually gets him clean and wrapped in a towel and takes a minute to just coo at him, soft and ruffled. He shuffles them off to his bedroom and makes Chan wear his clothes just because it soothes the little green monster that lives in his chest. He tucks them both into bed and Chan falls asleep on his chest, his arm already going a little numb. He pets the other boy’s hair, fluffy from the shower and thinks <em>I love you</em> when he presses another kiss to the top of his head before he falls asleep too.</p><p>---</p><p>Seungcheol wakes up with the sun in his eyes, and a personal sun in his arms. Chan is already awake, playing with his hair. “You know, even with all the chlorine and sun, your hair is still really soft,” he whispers, as if talking loudly will break the soft pink light.</p><p>“It’s Josh's shampoo, I've been stealing it while he’s gone,” Seungcheol says into Chan’s shoulder, content to live there now.</p><p>He takes a deep breath and eventually pushes himself up to look down at Chan. The other boy blinks up at him and smiles.</p><p>“Hey,” Seungcheol smiles back at him.</p><p>“Hey yourself,” Chan says back.</p><p>Seungcheol stretches his arms and slumps back down, “Let’s make breakfast?” Chan nods back at him, yawning. </p><p>They make their way downstairs, holding hands. Seungcheol kind of loves it, being clingy and domestic with someone. He’s used to watching with bleary eyes as Minghao presses kisses to Josh’s forehead whole he hands him his coffee. Now, Chan clings to his back, pressing kisses to his neck while he starts the coffee pot and water for tea. The water boiler beeps and he extracts himself from the other boy who whines. He kisses his cheek before pulling out tea and pouring coffee for him. </p><p>“There’s milk in the fridge and sugar on the counter if you want,” He says, smiling softly at the other boy still yawning. He sits at the table, heart feeling a little tender watching Chan move around his space with confidence. He sits down across from Seungcheol, eyes still squinted shut. They sit in comfortable silence, the sunlight pouring in from the window over the sink, cicadas already loud outside.</p><p>Chan finishes his cup after Seungcheol and takes both of them to the sink. Seungcheol crowds him up against the counter, kissing down his neck, feeling soft and full of light. The other boy cups his jaw, pulling him up into a slow kiss, both of them smiling into it slightly. Chan loops his arms around his neck, and the kisses turn a little messier, Seungcheol grinding slightly against the other boy’s thigh </p><p>Chan pulls away, eyes blown wide and mouth kiss red, “Okay, I know you said no to shower sex and car sex.” </p><p>Seungcheol groans,“Let the car sex go.”</p><p>“We’ll put a pin in it, anyways is sex in just a bed on the table? Because we’ve got a bed here and oh my god, do I want to fuck you.”</p><p>“You’re so cringey,” Seungcheol says biting a mark on to his neck, “Yes, come on then.” He drags the other boy back to his bedroom.</p><p>Seungcheol closes the door to his room, even though they’re the only ones home and Chan teases him for it. He shoves him on to his bed in retaliation, and Chan pulls him down into a kiss. </p><p>Chan hits around on his phone wildly, trying to turn music on while Seungcheol kisses a line down his neck. </p><p>“Oh I love this song,” Seungcheol says, humming along to the melody.</p><p>“I know, you sent it to me,” Chan replies, pulling at the bottom of his shirt. Seungcheol raises his arms so the other boy can pull it off him.</p><p>“You put the song i sent you on a sex playlist?”</p><p>“It’s not a sex playlist!” Chan smacks his chest and he falls back laughing, “It’s just a playlist I made!”</p><p>“Channiee,” He coos, pulling the other boy down to him, “You like meee.”</p><p>Chan’s blush extends down his neck, “Actually I take it back, I’m going to live a life of chastity now.”</p><p>Seungcheol whines, “Okay but can you fuck me before you do that?” </p><p>“Okay, but like you need lube and things for that,” Chan says, pulling Seungcheol’s boxers down and kissing a line down his hip. Seungcheol shivers and Chan laughs when his dick twitches.</p><p>“Someone’s eager,” He says pressing a kiss to the head.</p><p>Seungcheol pouts, “If you’re gonna be mean you can leave.”</p><p>Chan keeps giggling before crawling up to kiss him. They kiss slow and deep and Seungcheol forgets why he was pouting before. Chan pats the side of his face, “Babe, lube.”</p><p>“Right,” Seungcheol rolls over to the side table, patting around for the bottle of lube that’s usually there. Chan takes it as an opportunity to knead his ass. Seungcheol looks over his shoulder at the other boy, “You having fun?” </p><p>“Your ass should be a national treasure.”</p><p>Seungcheol rolls his eyes. He remembers that he left the lube in the shower and sighs. “Hold on,” he says before squirming out of bed to go get it.</p><p>When he gets back, Chan’s sitting against the headboard, lazily tugging at his dick and looking at Seungcheol like he wants to eat him. He tosses the bottle of lube on the bed and straddles Chan. The other boy’s hands come up to his waist and he kisses Chan’s forehead. It makes the other boy giggle so he presses rapid kisses all over his face before Chan gets fed up and flips them over. Seungcheol lands on his back, still laughing, “Okay, now we can fuck if you want.”</p><p>Chan laughs down at him, “Are you saying that trying to give you a handjob in your car wasn’t fucking?”</p><p>Seungcheol smacks him, “Oh my god just put your dick in me already, you’re annoying.”</p><p>“You like meee,” Chan sings, grabbing the bottle of lube. “Tell me if anything hurts okay?”</p><p>Seungcheol nods, pulling his legs up, feet pressing into the mattress. Chan kisses one of his knees. He hears the click of the lube and then feels cold wet fingers against him. He scrunches his nose, “Cold.”</p><p>“Sorry sorry,” Chan says before pressing one finger in, Seungcheol tries not to squirm, knows that it’s probably always going to feel weird at first. </p><p>Chan kisses his chest, leaving little bitey marks to distract him, his other hand on Seungcheol’s hip keeping him grounded. He leaves a purple mark on his collarbone when he adds a second finger. Seungcheol yelps and it turns into a moan which is embarrassing. He also realizes he’s making little noises and slaps a hand over his mouth. Chan curls his fingers up and bites his shoulder and Seungcheol can’t help but moan.</p><p>“Fuck, you’re so hot,” Chan pulls his hand away from his mouth, “I want to hear you baby, wanna hear you feel good.”</p><p>Seungcheol tucks some of Chan’s hair behind his ear, “You always make me feel good.”</p><p>Chan grins and curls all three fingers up, hitting his prostate and making him see stars. He lets out a little <em>ah-ah-ah</em> sound and grabs Chan’s wrist.</p><p>“You’re playing dirty,” He says, panting at this point.</p><p>“Who me?” Chan scissors his fingers again, and Seungcheol is going to die right here, “I would never.”</p><p>“Oh my godddd,” He lets his head flop back against the pillows, “Just fuck me!”</p><p>“I am fucking you.”</p><p>Seungcheol throws one of the pillows at Chan’s head, “I will leave right now.” The other boy laughs, pulling his fingers out and Seungcheol whines.</p><p>Chan wipes his hand on the sheets and Seungcheol wrinkles his nose. “You’re gross, nasty boy.”</p><p>Chan wraps his arms around his thighs and pulls him closer and Seungcheol’s only human. He’s allowed to have a strength kink.</p><p>“I’m your nasty boy though,” Chan says, pressing a kiss to his chest, “Condom?”</p><p>Seungcheol slaps around on the side table again, one miraculously within reach. He’s going to have to go get more if this is going to be a regular thing. He gives it to Chan and laughs when his fingers are still too slippery to get it open on the first try. He feels full of light, like a firework is fizzling through his veins. Chan makes a triumphant sound when he gets it open. Seungcheol shoves one of the pillows under his hips. “Please just dick me down Chan, or else I am going to physically die.”</p><p>“You are literally the most dramatic person I know,” Chan says lining up his dick, “Relax for me?”</p><p>Seungcheol breathes out as Chan slides in, not used to feeling full. </p><p>“Do you feel okay?” Chan asks, obviously trying not to move.</p><p>“Give me a second,” Seungcheol says trying to breathe through the weird feeling. After a minute, Seungcheol pats Chan’s thigh, “You can move now.” Chan starts slowly, making sure Seungcheol isn’t in actual pain which is sweet.</p><p>“Faster please,” He says and Chan speeds up. His eyes slip shut and he doesn’t even realize he’s making so much noise until Chan laughs, “You’re so noisy.” </p><p>“Josh would probably have killed me already for being this loud.”</p><p>“Oh my god, shut up?” Chans says, but there’s a smile in his voice, betraying his fondness. Seungcheol laughs and it turns into a quiet moan when Chan grinds his hips slowly.</p><p>“You just said you wanted to hear me!” He laughs again, squirming when Chan’s hands skate down his side, tickling.</p><p>“I like hearing that you’re enjoying it, but baby, please do not bring up your roommates when i am literally inside you.”</p><p>“Why? I think you and Josh would get along!”</p><p>Chan rolls his eyes and pins Seuncheol’s wrists above his head, “You’re the most annoying boy in the world,” he says pressing kisses down his neck and rolling his hips just enough to make little sparks skitter up Seungcheol’s spine.</p><p>“I’m your most annoying boy though.”</p><p>Chan lifts his head up enough to smile at him, “Yeah, you are.” He rolls his hips again and it makes Seungcheol’s fingers curl.</p><p>“You’re so good Chan,” Seungcheol moans and doesn’t miss the way that Chan shudders and curls in on himself.</p><p>“Ohh,” Seungcheol grins when Chan whines, “Oh do you like that? You like being good for me?”</p><p>“I will cum right now oh my god, shut upp” Chan punctuates his whines with little thrusts of his hips and Seungcheol feels his toes curl from how good it feels.</p><p>“Channie,” Seungcheol can feel the other boy's fingers tighten on his wrist and he presses kisses down Seungcheol’s chest. “Channie, feels good, you’re so good.” He feels Chan whisper a quiet <em>fuck</em> into his skin and then he really starts fucking him.</p><p>In the end, it’s fast and messy, both of them too keyed up to really draw it out very long. Chan ends up coming first, gasping out Seungcheol’s name as he curls in on himself. </p><p>“Chan, Chan, please,” Seungcheol begs at this point, “Please, I wanna cum.” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Chan pants against his neck, still obviously coming off the high of his orgasm. He wraps a hand around Seungcheol’s cock and tells him to cum for him, that he’s been /so/ good for him. Seungcheol thinks he might have blacked out from how hard he comes. </p><p>They both lay there, trying to catch their breath for a minute. Seungcheol turns to look at Chan, finding him already looking his way. They both start giggling, still riding the hazy waves post-orgasm.</p><p>“Can you go get a washcloth? My legs are jelly,” Seungcheol asks, stretching his arms.</p><p>“Yeah no problem,” Chan gets up, tying off the condom and throwing it away. He comes back with a washcloth and cleans them both off and goes to throw it back in the bathroom.</p><p>Chan comes back and flops face down on the bed. Seungcheol laughs and draws little circles on his shoulder blades. He eventually turns his head to look at Seungcheol. “Why have we not been doing that?”</p><p>Seungcheol scrunches his nose, “Cause penetrative sex is a whole ordeal, we’re better to just sticking to handjobs in the car.”</p><p>Chan scrunches his nose back and then high-fives Seungcheol and they both collapse laughing. </p><p>---</p><p>“Okay, today’s the day. I’m going to teach you how to drive stick,” Seungcheol says leaning against the side of his truck as he watches Chan walk up the driveway. Chan rolls his eyes, looping his arms around Seungcheol’s waist and pouting.</p><p>“Not even a hello kiss?”</p><p>“If I give you an inch, we wouldn’t leave the bed all day.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with that?”</p><p>“You’re gonna learn how to drive stick today.” Seungcheol sighs when Chan grumbles at him. “What if we get stuck somewhere and I pass out and then you have to drive me to the nearest hospital?”</p><p>“UGHHHHH,” Chan gives up trying to get Seungcheol to kiss him, “Fine! Let me drive your stupid truck!”</p><p>“But babe!” Seungcheol pretends to faint, “My stupid truck is my whole personality!” He laughs when Chan kicks at his shins. He swoops in and kisses Chan’s cheek. The other boy rolls his eyes again but softens anyways.</p><p>---</p><p>Much like the beginning of summer, Seungcheol spends a lot of his time laying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Now though, he thinks about Chan, kissing Chan in his bed, fucking him until he cries, watching dumb youtube videos until they fall asleep, really just a whole lot of thinking about boys. </p><p>He wants to see Chan wrapped in sweaters, ears tinged red from the cold. He wants to pull him closer by a scarf wrapped around his neck, wants to take him to the fair and eat too sweet cotton candy and ride the ferris wheel. He /wants/. He wants this to be more than just a summer fling, wants to press <em>I love you’s</em> into the space behind Chan’s ears to see them turn pink.</p><p>Chan calls him one day in late August, when Seungcheol should really be getting ready for school to start and Josh to get back from his trip.</p><p>“Come to the park with me tonight?” Chan says, voice crackling across the phone. Seungcheol smiles, can’t help but grin whenever he hears Chan’s voice.</p><p>“Of course, tell me the time and I’ll be there.”</p><p>	Seungcheol gets to the park before sunset, just like Chan asked him to. He locks the truck and wanders down the path to where the other boy told him to meet him. The sun glitters on the water, the river running directly next to the park.</p><p>He sees Chan before the other boy sees him. Seungcheol scoops him up from behind, sweeping him around and ignoring the other boy yelling. He places Chan back on the ground and turns him around so he can kiss him.</p><p>“Hey,” he says the smile bleeding into his voice. Chan rolls his eyes, but kisses him back all the same. </p><p>“Hey yourself,” He pulls away from Seungcheol to wave his hand at the grass beside them, “Ta-da, look what I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into all day.” Seungcheol blinks down at a picnic spread before them. Most of the food is handmade, placed lovingly into tupperware and he sees a cherry limeade next to a blue raspberry slushie with nerds. He feels tears come to his eyes.</p><p>“Are we dating?” Seungcheol asks, too overwhelmed to say anything else to him.</p><p>Chan blinks, mouth falling into an O. “I thought we’ve been dating since May? Oh my god, did I forget to ask you to be my boyfriend?”</p><p>“Uhh,” Seungcheol stares at him, “Yeah, you forgot to ask.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Chan looks a little horrified. Seungcheol blinks, rewriting the last few months in his head.</p><p>“I love you,” He blurts out and Chan blinks again. Now it’s Seungcheol’s turn to feel horrified. </p><p>“Oh,” Chan says, ears turning pink, “I love you too of course.” </p><p>Seungcheol’s ears are ringing with the /of course/, as if it’s not even a question, it's just a constant. Chan grabs his hand and rubs his thumb over the back of it. Seungcheol looks at him and the sun kisses the other boy golden. The cicadas in the trees around them are so loud and Seungcheol can’t hear anything over the sound of his heartbeat.</p><p>“If it’s cool with you, I’d really like you to be my boyfriend,” Chan says softly, looking soft, Seungcheol’s perfect and sweet boy.</p><p>“Of course,” it’s not even a question. He kisses Chan, more smiles than kiss and it’s perfect.</p><p>---</p><p>Eight years later:</p><p> Chan walks around the back of the building with a baby soaking a patch on his shirt. “Hao, can you take Yaani? I need to go see if anyone needs help in the kitchen,” He says holding the baby out to her dad. Minghao coos at his daughter, scooping her up and propping her on his hip.</p><p>“You’re going to get grey hair if you keep stressing so much,” He says to Chan who just rolls his eyes. </p><p>“You have two kids, and a dog, you should have more grey hair out of any of us.” Minghao hip checks him and he laughs. </p><p>“Seriously though,” Minghao says giving Yaani one of her teething toys, “You have no reason to be so stressed, you know he’s going to say yes. To be fair, we all bet that you guys would get engaged at Josh and I’s wedding.”</p><p>Chan can feel his ears heat up, remembering getting fucked into the mattress at the hotel after that wedding, Seungcheol whispering about how much he wanted Chan as a husband. “Anyways!” He waves his hand in the air, “It’s just always scary to imagine, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”</p><p>They both turn around at the sound of barking and children screaming. Minghao and Josh’s oldest kid, Siyu, and Vernon and Seungkwan’s daughter, Yuri, are both running up the path chased by Yam, the dog Seungcheol had adopted two years ago.</p><p>“Oppa! We finished putting up the last decorations!” Yuri says, puffing up her chest when they reach the two. Siyu runs over to cling to Minghao’s legs and he just smiles down at them fondly. Chan crouches down to be eye-level with Yuri and holds his hand up. “Thank you so much! That was the most important part!” He says and Yuri beams. She smacks his hand with a surprising amount of force for a seven year old and runs off to find her parents.</p><p>“I'm gonna go find Cheollie,” Chan says to Minghao, dusting off his pants.</p><p>“Have fun, if you see Josh, let him know he’s on diaper duty next,” Minghao says, holding Yaani up. Chan wrinkles his nose and goes inside to find his boyfriend.</p><p>A couple of people point him over to the kitchen and he finds him with Yuri on his hip, talking his ear off and Chan melts. He loves seeing his boyfriend with kids. Josh had sent him a video once of Seungcheol teaching a class with a student’s baby sleeping on his chest. He had cried the entire day. </p><p>“Did you tell Wonwoo oppa about school this week?” Seungkwan asks pulling the little girl away from Seungcheol and Chan throws him a grateful grin. He sticks his tongue out over his daughter’s head and nods his head over to Seungcheol. </p><p>“Hey wonderful,” Chan says wrapping his arms around Seungcheol’s waist.</p><p>“Hey yourself,” Seungcheol grins at him, “Are you just trying to get out of helping carry stuff?”</p><p>“Noo,” Chan whines, “Is it not enough to simply want to hold my beautiful boyfriend?” Seungcheol rolls his eyes.</p><p>“Go help before I get yelled at too,” He kisses his cheek before going to try and carry 20 chairs and Chan smiles.</p><p>Somehow, he gets through the whole dinner without choking or a meteor coming in and crashing through the roof. It’s a miracle really. He wipes his sweaty hand on his pants, “Hey,” He holds a hand out to Seungcheol, “Come walk with me?” Seungcheol to his credit, just smiles at Chan like he’s grossly in love, and doesn’t ask any more questions.</p><p>The Roots garden had expanded its borders since their first time here, several new plots of land being donated by surrounding neighbors. There were new trees that had been planted every time a new child had come into their friend family, an apple tree for Yuri the newest addition, the little girl’s adoption had officially gone through a few months ago. Chan had cried while Seungcheol helped plant the tree with the little girl. Chan cried a lot out of love for Seungcheol.</p><p>Tonight, the whole garden has been draped in fairy lights and there’s little firefly decorations hanging around the trees as well. Seungcheol’s eyes widen when they get to the center of it and Chan smiles watching him turn in a circle. </p><p>“Chan, jagiya, what is this for?” Seungcheol asks and Chan’s heart trips over itself. He takes Seungcheol’s hand, swinging it gently.</p><p>“I wasn’t going to set off fireworks in the garden but I still thought I could bring you our own firefly festival here,” Chan’s hands are so sweaty but Seungcheol is still looking at him like he’s hung the stars.</p><p>“ I also, uhm,” the anxiety comes back full force, “uhm.” Seungcheol squeezes his hand and he takes a deep breath before looking him in the eyes. </p><p>“I’ve been in love with you basically since the moment we’ve met, or actually I knew I was going to fall in love with you. It was inevitable, a final truth of the universe,” Chan pauses and Seungcheol looks like he’s about to cry so he barrels on, “I’d like to spend the rest of my life getting to learn you better or as least as long as you’ll have me. I’m not going to kneel cause they just watered and it’s muddy but,” He fishes the box out his pocket, “Choi Seungcheol, will you marry me?” Seungcheol bursts into full tears at that. Chan juggles the ring box as the other man wraps himself around him. </p><p>“Of course,” Seungcheol whispers into the crook of his neck, “Of course I’ll marry you, it’s not even a question.” Chan gets the ring on his finger and Seungcheol kisses him, long and sweet. Chan giggles when they pull away, wiping the excess tears off his <em>fiance’s</em> face.</p><p>“So you made a whole firefly festival to propose to me?” He asks when he’s done weeping. 
Chan just sighs, grossly in love with this man, “Yeah.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
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